Addictions and Impulse Control

This course is a third-level degree course designed to provide students with an understanding of the major issues involved in working with persons who have addictive behaviours and disorders of impulse control within a forensic context. An exploration of the major theoretical perspectives of addiction (moral, medical, social learning, and biopsychosocial) will be presented. This course will focus on three areas of practice (assessment, treatment, and teamwork in effective risk management) with additional discussions, including harm reduction, comorbidity, and the utilization of community resources. Through a combination of interactive lecture and student presentations, students will have an opportunity to review and critique relevant literature and controversial topics in the management of these often challenging groups of individuals. Case study examples will be used to illustrate various scenarios in theory and practice.